Introduction: DIY Life-Sized Unlifelike Cutout

A personal life sized composition board cutout may seem like a fantasy, but you too can easily make one at home. Cardboard cutouts come in handy for all kinds of purposes, including, but not incomprehensive to, work meetings, enshroud-and-go-attempt, and home gatherings. Simply place your cardboard cutout where you are supposed to be and walk off. About masses won't even discover the dispute.

Step out 1: Make Some Pictures

You neediness to exposure the subject on the cleanest feasible white background. It likewise advisable to avoid grainy lighting and shadows.

To accomplish this I used a seamless composition backdrop held aloft by two C-stands. I so photographed the theme exploitation 2 wireless exposure strobes angled at 45 degrees towards the subject.

The camera and radio receiver transmitter were situated in the center upon a tripod. Try to detect the highest settlement camera that you can. You want the images to be very large, since it will be printed American Samoa life-squirrel-sized. The large the image file, the less resolution you will ultimately lose.

You don't truly need so much a fancy setup, just it's best to use the cleanest (well-nig plain) background available.


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Step 2: Adjust Levels, Luminosity and Contrast

Using your photo editing software of choice (mine is Photoshop), line up the levels, brightness and contrast.

In Photoshop, I first open the 'Levels' adjustment windowpane and use the white eyedropper to select a spot happening the backdrop. This assigns the background as the most white portion of the visualize, and re-calibrates the envision atomic number 3 such. In doing this, IT removes a lot of the shadows from the background away making the backdrop rattling white, and white-balances the image accordingly.

I past set the level's sliders until I achieve the most depth in the image. Don't interest too much about brightness or contrast at this peak, but focus on inside information of what you are looking at.

Finally, to adjust brightness and contrast, I open the 'Curves' adjustment window and tweak the curve until I attain the results I wish. Alternately, you can open the handed-down 'Brightness and Contrast' adjustment window, and conform it that way.

Step 3: Crop the Image

Once the image is people of color corrected, browse the image in close along the subject to remove everything but the white background.

Step 4: Paint IT Ovalbumin

Using the legerdemain sceptre selection tool, create an outline close to the subjugate.

Create a new layer, and blusher this bed white. If the white is masking up whatsoever break of the image, efface it. It doesn't have to be too perfect, since it is existence cutaway anyhow, but it is helpful to throw a crisp line.

In the end, flatten the layers of the image to the background.

Step 5: Scale to Size

Use of goods and services the select all command and then the cut command.

Scale the image up until it is well-nig 5-10 inches taller than the altitude of the genuine subject being delineate.

Side by side, place a rule of thumb that is about two inches from the pass, and so some other marking that is [2" + height of guinea pig] from the top of the visualize.

Paste the image into the material body, and scale it until the oral sex is at about the commencement marker, and the mall of the feet is close to on the second marker. Your image is now about life-rabbit-sized.

Flatten out the image and save IT as a JPG.

Step 6: Print

Print the image without whatsoever grading using a large-scale color plotter printer.

If you don't have access to such a printing machine, subscribe to your file to your local print shop or copy concentrate on and have them mark it for you.

Step 7: Well-kept Down

Cut a rough outline around your subject area to remove as some of the play down as possible. This is a shaggy first devolve and shouldn't move into too close. This step is just about removing unnecessary composition to arrive easier to work with.

Measure 8: Glue Down pat

Get a large sheet of unbent cardboard and place your capable chee down upon it.

Spray the back of the wallpaper generously with sprayer-mount glue.

Flip the paper over and set down it precise flat on the cardboard, smoothing out any melody bubbles.

Step 9: Cut It Unsuccessful!

Now is time to sheared approximately the outline of the image using craft knives and/or razor blades. Just remember to start slow-moving and atomic number 4 careful.

A cutting mat is helpful to wear hand for this.

Step 10: Profit

Once you have a cutout, information technology will fetch up in altogether kinds of unexpected places.

For example, I ended rising in San Francisco magazine without even knowing information technology!

Step 11: Recycle

When your friends get fed up with the creepy cutout of yourself, make a point they recycle it.

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